Shield for bank windows



Apr. 10, 1923. 3,451,366

W. CLEARY SHIELD FOR BANK WINDOWS Filed Mar. 1, 1919 2 sheets-sheet 1 l'r H as-0 Apr. 10, 1923 1,4513% J. W. CLEARY SHIELD FOB BANK WINDOWSFiled Mar. 1, 1919 2 sheets-sheet? Patented Apr. 10, 1923.

JOHN-W. GLEARY, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHIELD FOR BANK wINnows.

Application filed March 1, 1919. Serial No. 280,181.

I and like places.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatic shield for a bankwindow or a window for a cash booth that may be automatically closedwhen manually released,

but which normally stands open while the business of taking andexchanging money or other valuables is in progress. In case of danger,however theshield may be instantly released and will automatically closethere by preventing the threatened'danger or loss through robbery.

Afurther object: of my invention is to provide such a shield at amoderate cost, and one simple in construction.

A further object is to provide a shield which will be inconspicuous wheninstalled so that it will not be noticed. by persons transactingbusiness at the place where it is installed.

A further object is to provide 'means' whereby the shield may bereleased with certainty so that it will instantly automatically close.

And a still further object is to provide a form of shield, that may bedisposed in in series. one at each of a number of windows, all of theshields being adapted to be released and automatically closed by oneperson by a single movement either by manually controlled mechanicalmeans or by electrical means, whereby the danger of failure to close theshield may be reduced to a minimum.

These and other objects, I accomplish by the means devices andcombinations, described inthis specification and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which,

Fig., 1, is a perspective view of the shield in open position ready tobe released for closing;

Fig, 6, is a detail view shown insection,

showing means for preventing the shield from being opened from withoutafter once being closed; and

Fig, 7, is a detail view showing in a. general way the means forreleasing the shield fromthe catch by which it is retained in openposition, when it is desired to release same by electrical means.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

Referring to the drawings: 10 designates the supporting frame for theshield, comprising the stiles, 11, and 12, the plate 13 and the bar lit.Guides in the form of grooves, 15, 16, and 17 are provided in the innersurface of each of the stiles, and at the bottom of each is'a stop, as18, 19 and 20, designed to reduce the jar incident to suddenly closingthe shield. These stops may be of any yielding material but are.preferably of rubber or rubberized fabric.

The necessity of these will be more fully ex plained hereinafter.

The frame 11 may be secured in position by any suitable means, as byclips 21 secured to. the table T, or counter or by clips, 22, 23, asshown in Figs, 2, 3 and 4 by which the frame is anchored to theguardrails G, or the frame of the booth in which it is installed.

The. shield 24, is preferably made ofa plurality of sections, as in thedrawings in which it is shown as comprising three sections. 25, 26 and27. Each section of the shield is slidably disposed in a separate grooveor guide, and when open is suspended -at the top portion of the frame,upon a catch or trip device which will be hereafter explained, and bywhich all of the sections may be automatically released so as to closeby gravity.

As a means for retaining the shield in an open position, the angle 28,is provided at the bottom of the edge of the section 25 and it extendsoutwardly beneath the bottom edges of sections 26 and 27 as shown inFig, 3, whereby the sections 26 and 27 are supported upon the said angleon a plane with section 25 when section is elevated to the top of theframe.

' To support section 25 in this elevated position, or open position, thespring catch 29 is secured thereto substantially centrally of the rooffor balancing the weight of the shield sections, and it extend at itsupper end through a clip 30, by which it is held from contacting withthe bar 14 when the shield is elevated.

The catch 29, engages the latch nose 32 of the latch 31, more clearlyshown in Fig, 7 of drawings.

The latch nosing here shown is of the type ordinarily used for releasinga door latch by electrical means controlledby a switch or push-button.

By. this artifice the catch 29 of the shield may be released either byelectrical means or by mechanical means.

The latch 31. is inserted in a mortise in the bar 14, so as toengage thecatch '29. ires 33 and 34 are connected with the latch and with the pushbuttons and 36, and alsowith the poles of the battery 13, indicated atthe bottom of the drawing, Fig. 1.

One button only is necessary. but for con-- venience, one is provit edat both the right and the left hand side of the frame, so that if eitherhand is engaged, the free hand may be used to touch the but-ton torelease the latch. v

The'wires 33 and 34 may be extended as at 33 and 34 to connect withasimilar re lease mechanism of another shield or series of shields, anyor all of which may be released and instantaneously closed by thepushing of but one button.

-A button and switch maybe provided at any place in a bank so that anofficer of the bank, a watchman or guard or any person may close theshield or any number of shields by touching the. button when there issign of danger.

In case the electrical current should not be available or if it shouldfail to operate.

so as to actuate the releasing mechanism a.

further means for releasing the shield is provided as follows: 5 r t Onthe bar 14, the rod 37, is mounted in bearings 38, 39 and 40, andadjacent the catch 29 the eccentric cam-member 41is disposed upon therod 37 and held against movement relative thereto by the set-screw 42.The cam-member 41 is formed with an angular extension as 43,which"contacts with the bearing 39 and prevents the cam-member 41, frommoving upwardly beyond a certain point, so that it must be at all timesheld in close proximity to the upper extension of the catch-member 29.

A shoulder 44 is provided for engaging the bearing 39, and this servesto prevent the cam-member 41, from movement beyond the point necessaryto insure the release of the catch-member 29, from the latch member 31.

By rotation of the shaft 37, the cam-member 41 depresses the extendedupper end of the catch 29 and the catch is thereby disengaged from thenose 32, of the latch 31, in cases where the latch is not released bythe electrical means provided, by manually operating the mechanicaldevice described.

To provide for rotating the shaft 37 levers 45 and 46, are mountedthereon andsecured against rotation thereon, by the setscrews 47 and 48.One lever is disposed at theright and one at the left hand side of theframe to ali'ord greater certainty of tripping the releasing catch. Eachlever has an extended arm so that it may be reached with slight eifortand by either hand of a person.

Rods 49 and 50 are provided connecting respectively with the said levers45 and 46. These rods are disposed downwardly through bearings 51 and52. Springs 53 and 54 are provided upon the rods and above the bear ingswhich serve to hold the said levers in the horizontal position so thatthe cam member 41 may beheld in the proper position relative to thecatch 29 to engage the same when the lever is manually actuated for thispurpose. i

To provide a. still further means of releasing the shield,"the rods 49and, 50 are extended downwardly to a point below the table or counterand near the floor and there connected, the rod 49 with a foot-lever, as55 and the rod 50 with a corresponding footlever not shown, wherebyeither foot may be employed to release the shield.

The shaft 37 is shown as extended at 37 to indicate that it may becontinued and connected with the releasing mechanism of another shieldin an adjacent window, so that by the movement of a hand or foot-lever,a series of shields may be released simultaneously and instantly by anyperson who first perceives danger.

lVhen the shield is released it will instantly fall by.- force ofgravity. In order to prevent theshield from being raised after it hasdropped into closed position, by any person outside the window, a catchis provided as 56', which engages the upper edge of the section 25 ofthe shield.

One form of the catch usedfor this purpose I have illustrated in Fig. 7of the drawing, in which figure the stile is shown as of wood. and theguide 15 is of metal formed by bending a metal plate .and securing it tothe wooden stile. An opening 15, is provided through the metal of theguide, and a corresponding mortise is provided in the wooden stile, 11.The spring clip 56 is secured to the metal guide preferably by rivetingand being bent as at 57, forms a catch to engage the section 25 oftheshield. The extended arm 58 affords means for releasing thecatch forraising the' shield.

To prevent either section 26 or 27 .ofthe shield from being raised whensection 25' is held down by the catch 56, the sections are provided withangles or flanges, as 58 at the top of section 25, 59 at the bottom ofsection 26 for engaging the'flange 58, so that section 26 cannot beraised while. section 25 is lowered or closed and held down by the catch56. .The flange 60 is provided at the top of section 26 and extendsoutwardly and overlaps theflange 61 of section 27 of the shield, so thatsection 27 cannot be raised while sections 25 and 26 are down or inclosed position.

By the means 'hereinbefore described, if a robbershould enter a bank andstand before the window of the cashier and level a re volver at his headand command him to put up his hands or hand over money, it told to throwup his hands he can in the movement touch one of the buttons to releasethe electrical catch or touch one of the levers and release the springcatchmechanism operated by the'cam-member 41. But if the robber shouldcommand him simply to hand over money, the cashier in that case cansimulate the movement of handing out the money and with either foottouch a foot lever and release the shield without giving any notice bymovement to the robber that he is not complying with his demands.

The shield members 25. 26 and 27 are of steel and thick enough to stopany ordinary bullet, so as soon as the shield has dropped into closedposition the danger to the cashier from a bullet is in a-great measurepassed. and the alarm has been given, and the rob- ,bers will'feel theirdanger and endeavor to escape.

To give warning of danger when it is necessary toclose the shield, Iprovide a circuit closing device which will operate so as to give alarmas soon as the lower section of the shield has dropped to a closedposition.

This is accomplished by inserting in one of the grooves as 15, a contactswitch as62, below the locking device 56. in such a manner that it willbe actuated by the shield member 25 when it is in closed position and soremain until disconnected. The circuit closing device may be constructedaccording to the manner usually followed in the practice as I claimnothing new in the construction of the circuit closing device or themeans employed for giving the alarm further than as a feature incombination with my shield.

The numeral 63 indicates a percussion cap or other detonating explosivedevice which may be placed in any preferred manner in one of the guides,preferably at the base thereof so that when the shield is closed, theimpact of the shield members on the explosive device will cause it toexplode and thereby give an alarm which will startle but not harm aperson not familiar with the operation of the shield.

The weight of the metallic shield members is sufiicient to insureinstantaneous action of the shield for the protection of the person atthe window when the releasing mechanism is actuated.

The means described in the specification and shown in the drawings Iwish to be understood merely as showing an operative form of theinvention set forth. and I do not limit myself to the specific form ofconstruction and operation shown in the drawings and described in thespecifications, but

claim as my invention any variations that may be made in theconstruction of the device in accordance with the practice in the artsand trades to which the particular element, feature, or the entireconstruction may belong, and reserve therefore the right to depart fromthe form of construction herein specified as may seem expedient andtherefore it is to be understood that that which I claim as my inventionis l. Ina shield for bank windows, in combination; a detachable frameadapted to be installed in any bank, comprising two vertical supportsconnected by horizontal members at their upper ends and having a seriesof vertical guides on their inner surfaces; a plurality of verticallyslidable shield members disposed in a horizontal position with theiropposite ends in said guides. a bracket provided upon one of the shieldmembers for lifting and supporting the other shield members at the upperportion of the frame. and a spring catch on the same shield memberadapted for securing it in its elevated position in the frame; means forreleasing the spring catch by manually controlled mechanism by the handor foot. or by electrically controlled means in the alternative andmeans for checking the several shield members in their downward movementwhen released, whereby they will be extensibly disposed so as to closethe entire extent of the opening, and alarm means adapted to give asignal when the shield is closed.

2. In a shield for bank windows. in combination with a detachable framecomprising two upright supports and transverse connecting members, guidemembers of proportioned length on the inner surface of the uprightsupports, a corresponding number of shield members slidable verticallyupon the guide members, said shield members having over-lapping flangesto permit of extending the shield a limited distance so as-to close theentire opening of the window; a bracket upon one shiei d member adaptedfor engaging the lower part of the other shield members and elevatingthem when it is desired to open the shield spring catches, adapted forengaging and retaining the shield in an open position, manuallycontrolled means that can be operated by the hand or foot to release thecatches "when itis desired to close the shield, whereby the shield willdrop by force of gravitation and extensibly close the window opening,and in the alternative, means for electrically releasing the shield toclose the same substantially as shown and described.

\Vhereunto I set my hand in the presence of two witnesses this 28th dayof February,

of Kings State of New York.

JOHN W. CLEARY.

Vitnesses:

EDWARD J. GA NQR, SAMUEL E. BRooKs.

1919. Done in the city of New York, county

